From Yesterday
by HildeMarie
Summary: After the tragic death of his son, Booth went on a year’s leave of absence, keeping in contact with no one but Temperance Brennan. He never promised her anything, but she couldn’t help but hope that when he came back they would get together. Now he’s back
1. Prologue

_My first effort at a Bones fanfiction. I hope you won't kill me if you hate it ;) It might be almost kind of a cross-over thing towards the end, but you'll just have to wait and see for your self. The story is co-written with a good friend, and the chapters are inspired by different songs._

* * *

**Prologue - From Yesterday**

_After the tragic death of his son, Booth went on a year's leave of absence, keeping in contact with no one but Temperance Brennan. He never promised her anything, but she couldn't help but hope that when he came back they would get together. Now he's back to work, but things are not the same. He keeps to himself, works even harder than before, and never smiles. Temperance is frustrated, she wants so much to help, wants to be there for him, but he won't allow her in. Finally he breaks the shocking news, he's quitting his job for a career in politics. On his last case he is forced to go to Europe, looking for a missing child. He never came back…._

* * *

5 years later

Clip from the small local Washington newspaper, dated May 3rd 2012.

"_Over the next few weeks we are going to have a look at unsolved cases of missing people from the area, starting off with FBI Agent Seeley Booth, well known in the local community from the case involving the abduction and subsequently the tragic death of his young son. Booth disappeared while working a case in Europe in May 2007, leaving both family, friends and investigators clueless as to what happened to him. After returning from Europe he was supposed to leave the agency, to pursue a career in politics._

_Could it be that Agent Booth simply decided he couldn't come back for some reason? Was the loss of his son still too much to handle? Was he involved in a case that forced him to start over under another identity? Plausible explanations, however neither his friends nor his family believes it to be true. They all feel certain something criminal must have happened to him…._

_We tried to get hold of Booth's co-worker Temperance Brennan, also reputed to be his on and off girlfriend, but without any luck. However the agents mother, Mrs Harrieth Booth has granted us an interview._

_- Mrs Booth, were there ever indications that your son wanted to break away from his life in any way?_

_- No, certainly not. Seeley was always very good at keeping in touch with both his friends and his family, even while he was in Europe working the case, he actually seemed like he had a good time, starting to get back to his old self. We just don't understand what might have happened to him…._

_- Rumours have had it that your son never got over the fact that he was unable to catch his son's abductor, leading to a state of mental instability. Wouldn't this indicate that he might have wanted to…._

_- No way! Of course, the loss of Parker was impossible to get over, but he was coping with it, he even had therapy!_

_- The police think it's unlikely that something criminal had happened to him, what do you think?_

_- Are you going to ask me the same question over and over? I really don't see the point in me being here…._

_- My apologies Mrs Booth! Please, I really didn't mean to dishonour your son's memory in any way. Do you think he's still alive?_

_(Mrs Booth has tears running down her face by now, the memories of Seeley still being just as painful as the day he disappeared.) _

_- I wish that I could say yes, but to be honest, my husband and I have little hope that we will ever see our beloved son again. It has been 5 years, and no word…._

_- When was the last time you heared from him?_

_- Oh I remember it clearly, it was about 3 weeks after he went over there, and he was in Italy. He called me from Venice. The case had come to a dead-end, and he was getting ready to come home. He sounded….happy, he liked Italy, said that there was something about Venice that had gotten to him, and that he would stay for another week before returning to explore the city a bit more. (She opens her purse and picks up a post card.) I got this a few days after the phone call: "Ponte dei Sospiri. There's something about this place, it gives me peace for the first time in over a year. I'm looking forward to coming home and getting on with my life. Tell dad I love him."_

_- Ah, The Bridge of Sighs….I've been there, it's a breathtaking place, with a very special history. Why do you think your son got so fascinated by this place?_

_- I don't know….but it's a lovely place. My husband and I went there the year after, it made me feel closer to Seeley I guess._

_- Thank you very much for talking to us Mrs Booth!_

_After the phone call and post card to his mother, nobody ever heared from Agent Booth again. The last trace the investigators were able to find was a cash withdrawal made on the Rumanian border, along the railway line, is dated June 10th and is the last trace ever found._

_One can only hope that in the future, the family will get the answers they need to put this matter to rest."_


	2. My Immortal

_I guess the first chapter was a bit strange on its own, so here is the next part. I really hope you'll take time to review, just a few words to let me know what you think would be sooo great. Me being quite new to this, I feel it's important to get your openions. The song-inspiration for this chapter is of course My Immortal by Evanescence._

* * *

**Chapter 1 - My immortal**

Temperance looks down at the picture in the paper. A smiling Seeley Booth looks back at her. She closes her eyes, and pushes the paper aside. Sure, they hadn't been able to get hold of her for a comment. She silently shakes her head, just as good, she has nothing to say, what she knows, she just can't tell….

The picture from the article fades in her mind, and is replaced with another picture. A not so happy face, eyes filled with tears and pain. The way he looked the last time she ever saw him. Her secret, the one she's been carrying alone all these years.

What nobody knows is that Seeley came to see her before he left for Europe. He had been close to a complete breakdown. The preassure from his new employer, on top of the ever present guilt from not being able to save Parker was crushing him. They had sat down by her kitchen table and talked for hours, really talked, for the first time in months. Eventually he had found the courage to tell her exactly how he felt. He loved her! The first few months after Parker died he had been like a zombie, the only person he had managed to talk to was her. Slowly he had been able to start collecting the pieces of his broken existence, and the only reason he was able to do this, was her. She became the most important part of the newfound foundation of his life, and he got scared.

Seeley had come back, terrified of becoming even closer to Temperance, believing that if he kept his distance he wouldn't get hurt when he lost her, because he was certain that he would eventually loose her, as he had with most people he held dear. He kept pushing her away, trying to ignore the frustration and despair in her eyes. What exactly had made him wake up, he didn't know, but one day he just realised that without Temperance he was nothing. It was better to have loved and lost, than not to have allowed himself to love at all. She was the only person who really knew him, who read him like an open book. She was the only one who had been there through the worst time of his life, the time he wasn't even able to find comfort in his own parents.

Temperance had listened to him, tears in her eyes. How long she had been waiting to hear him say those words, that he loved her. He wanted to share his life with her, just as much as she wanted to be with him, for real! Before she knew what he was doing, he was down on one knee in front of her. What he said next had been tattooed on her mind ever since: "Tempie, my love for you is eternal, you are my one true love, the one I've been looking for all my life. Would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?" She had totally lost the ability to speak. All she could do was stare with an open mouth, at the antique golden ring in his hand. The inscription had read "Forever is for good. Your Seeley"

Her silence made him get up, not daring to look her in the eyes anymore. He had moved in to kiss her, and then left her with the following words: "This is our secret. All I ask of you is to think about my proposal until I get back." Temperance could still feel the burning sensation of his lips on hers. She had immediately known what her answer would be, there was only one answer to his question. Temperance loved Seeley, just as much as he loved her, she might have tried to deny it from time to time, but now she didn't have to anymore.

And then he disappeared. Temperance had been on vacation and had to read about it in the paper, nobody had bothered to inform her. For two months she didn't leave her apartment. Her brother and friends had tried their best to help her, but there was no way they could even start to comprehend her sorrow, and how could they? All they knew was that the contact between herself and Seeley Booth had been almost non-existent after he came back to work.

Exactly when the dreams started to haunt her, she didn't remember, but every night was the same: She's walking along an unknown street, the twilight half covering the outlines of the many buildings she passes. Then she hears his voice: "Come, my only love! I'm waiting for you!" A familiar figure appears out of the darkness in front of her, Seeley. She starts running after him, but always wakes up just as she reaches him, and is about to put her hand on his arm to turn him around. Temperance always wakes up crying, feeling totally abandoned.

It's obvious that both Seeleys friends, and now even his familiy have given up on him, they have started talking about him in past-tense. They believe he's dead. But he isn't! She just knows, deep in her soul she knows he's out there somewhere. He would never leave her like this! Temperance carries his ring in a chain around her neck. Placing it on her finger would lead to far too many questions. Besides only Seeley himself can complete the pact between them, he must be the one to put the ring in its rightful place.

Temperance has changed dramatically since Seeley disappeared. Her state of mind has darkened in a way. She finds comfort in her work, and spends the day, seemingly happy, with her colleagues, but when the day is done, she goes home, alone. All these years she has managed to stay strong, to keep her feelings to herself, but the newspaper article had ripped open the wound once again. There was only one way to close it, Temperance knew what she had to do.

Lifting the newspaper, she revealed a small brochure "Discover Rumania", and a plane ticket. She had to go, she knows she won't be able to find any peace before she finds him.

That night the dream is even more intense, and Seeleys voice even more urgent: "I'm waiting Tempie!"

"_I'm so tired of being here_

_Suppressed by all my childish fears_

_And if you have to leave_

_I wish that you would just leave_

_Your presence still lingers here_

_And it won't leave me alone_

_These wounds won't seem to heal_

_This pain is just too real_

_There's just too much that time cannot erase_

_When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears_

_When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears_

_And I've held your hand through all of these years_

_But you still have all of me"_


	3. Capricorn

_Sorry for the late update. Thanks so much to oOMissBennetOo, AgentAwesome, bones-is-love, Marinusky, willflourish and ilovebones for kind reviews, especially to the first two who gave me some very useful tips, hopefully I'll be able to follow them ;) I hope this is not too out of character, I have only seen the first season of Bones (living in Norway, and they just showed the first episode of season two before they decided on summer break...buhu...). I love the show though. Please, I would be overwhelmed with joy for the same response as I got for the first two parts._

_The song that has inspired this chapter is Capricorn by 30 Seconds To Mars._

* * *

**Chapter 2 – Capricorn**

The next morning Temperance wakes up before dawn. She just isn't able to sleep any longer. The dream still has a hold of her, and makes her even more certain that Seeley is out there, waiting for her. She has to find him. Nobody knows why she's going away, she has told her friends that she's going to Europe to visit a couple of museums and universities. Her first stop is Venice, where Seeley was when he last spoke to his mother. Temperance knows that the chance that she will find something that the investigators have missed is less than slim, but she just has to try.

Temperance skips breakfast, she is much to exited to eat. For the first time in five years she feels alive. Finally she's going to do something about the despair and powerlessness she's felt since Seeley went missing. Maybe she'll get the answers she's been searching for so long. Her luggage is neatly stacked by the door, she's all ready to go. Before she closes the door, she stops to have one last glance at her apartment, she can't help but feel that this is goodbye….

On the plane she curls up in a window seat, sinking deep into her own thoughts, gloomy she looks out at the fluffy white clouds. Holding the ring from the chain in her hand, she forces the image of Seeley to appear before her eyes. "I didn't need time to think back then. You were and still are the love of my life, you are my soulmate. A love like ours doesn't come along more than once in a lifetime, and should be guarded as the treasure it is. We failed, and now we're paying the price." It's like she's leading a conversation with him in her mind. She might not get any answers, but she is surrounded by a feeling of harmony, like somebody or something is trying to get the message through to her that everything is going to work out in the end. With a smile on her lips, Temperance falls asleep.

"So I run and hide and tear myself up

Start again with a brand new name

And eyes that see into infinity

I will disappear

I told you once and I'll say it again

I want my message read clear

I'll show you the way, the way I'm going"

Temperance slowly wakes up as the plane approaches the terminal. A strange feeling of excitement fills her.

After a long and tiresome trainride she arrives in Venice. For the last few hours she has been kept company by an Italian family. They were lively and very loud, talking all the time both with their mouth and hands, like only Italians can. Temperance had easily been charmed by the kids and their fumbling efforts to talk to her. Their English was more or less non-existent, but at least they had helped making the last part of the trip a bit more interesting.

In Venice she takes a deep breath and gets off the train. She looks around the old stationhouse, trying to take it all in, while picking up a map from her bag. Temperance studies the map for a short while, then starts walking with determined steps. She knows exactly where she's going.

Not far from the station there's a stop for the waterbuses. Temperance finds bus no 1 and embarks. The few minutes before they are ready to go gives her time to look around. From what she sees Venice must be an absolutely adoring city, just within sight is at least a dozen old and venerable buildings and palaces. Her thoughts move back to Seeley again, it's hard to explain, but she feels even closer to him here. Temperance is disturbed from further thoughts by the voice of the guide, who announces that the next stop is San Zaccaria. That's her stop. She collects her belongings and starts walking towards Ca'dei Dogi, a small Bed & Breakfast, and the exact same place where Seeley stayed those 5 years ago.

Temperance is welcomed by the receptionist, and easily finds the way to her room. The whole hotel is almost like a home, and she feels very comfortable with staying there. Her room has a small balcony overlooking one of the piazza's. It's already late in the evening, but she's not tired. Temperance sits down on the bed and carefully puts her hands into her bag, pulling out an envelope, she caresses the worn corners before opening it. The sheet is worn thin from all the times she has been reading the letter. Even if she knows the words by heart, she starts reading:

_"Dearest Tempie,_

_I know I promised that you would have the time to think about my proposal in peace, but something has happened that made me miss you even more. I have been in Venice for about a week now, and it's fantastic. Tonight I went to the Ponte dei Sospiri, the Bridge of Sighs. It was a clear night, and the moon was up. The atmosphere was magical, it just got to me. I was all by myself and I missed you so much. Suddenly it felt like there was someone there beside me, talking to me, reassuring me that everything would be alright. I set my hopes on that it was the truth that spoke to me, and that it wasn't just the magic of the night playing tricks with my head._

_As I stood there on the bridge, a young man approached me. He must have been about my age. We started talking. He said his name was Giovanni Rinaldi. I had this strange feeling that he knew me, and that I should know him, even if I was certain that I had never seen him before in my life. Just as we were about to go our separate ways, he said something that has stuck in my mind ever since: "You will get your chosen one, but the road is long and dark." Then he touched my cheek with his hand and left._

_I just stood there for a while trying to figure out who he was, but I found no answer. Inside I had this warm and calm feeling, like he had given me peace._

_No matter what happens, Tempie, I want you to know that my love for you is eternal. I can only hope and pray that you feel the same way about me. My thoughts are with you always._

_Your Seeley"_

Temperance looks at the date of the letter. It's dated the day before he must have left Venice. She has never told anyone about it, not even the police. It is too personal, and telling would also mean breaking her promise to Seeley. She doubts if they would have been able to make much of the letter anyway. The only clue she is left with is Giovanni Rinaldi, and she'll start looking for him first thing tomorrow. She has a feeling it might be like finding a needle in a haystack, but she has to try, she clings to the hope that he might be able to give her something, at least tell her about the night he met Seeley.

Temperance falls asleep still with the letter in her hands. She has the same dream as always, but this time it feels even more real, and she wakes up soaking wet both from tears and sweat. The words from the dream still lingers in her mind: "Come home, Tempie! You are getting closer, and I have waited for you for so long!"

She looks at her mobile, it's still just 6 am, yet she isn't able to go back to sleep. Ouside the sun is slowly rising, and Temperance decides she just as well can get up. After a quick shower, she walks down to the reception asking to borrow the telephone directory. She sits down at a table in the cafeteria and starts her search for Signore Rinaldi.

After a few hours and numerous cups of coffee she has to admit that this is leading nowhere. No matter how many times she looks through the directory, there's no Giovanni Rinaldi listed. A bit downhearted she decides to get some breakfast, and then go for a walk. Maybe she'll come up with something, she always thinks best while on her feet.

Temperance wanders around Venice, trying to postpone going where she most of all wants to go, in the end it's like her feet take control. The Bridge of Sighs. It is just as marvelous as Seeley described, but a bit sad she has to admit that she's unable to feel the atmosphere he wrote about. She decides to go back tonight after dark, just to see if she can get the same feeling as he did from the place.

She has a late dinner at the hotel, feeling more depressed by the minute, since she still hasn't been able to come up with a new plan to find Giovanni Rinaldi. At 2 she sneeks out of the hotel, trying not to wake anybody. The streets are almost completely empty and silent. She walks along the canal until she has the bridge in front of her. The night is dull and dark. Temperance lets out a sigh, shakes her head slowly and is about to walk away, when out of the blue the clouds seem to disintegrate, uncovering the moon. A silverlike shine covers everything in sight. Totally bewitched by the atmosphere she enters the bridge. For a moment she just stands there, leaning on the railing with her eyes closed.

Suddenly she hears footsteps, apparently heading in her direction. Temperance pulls back into the shadows. A man is coming towards her, a smile on his face. She gets the feeling that there's something familiar about him. He stops right next to her, and looks over the silvery water. Temperance waits for him to say something, and after what seems like an eternity he opens his mouth: "You will find what you are looking for, but nothing will be as you think. Your mission is accomplished here in Venice. Go now! Go on!" He gently strokes her cheek and leaves.

Temperance turns to stop him, but he's gone, like he just faded into the darkness. Confused she touches her cheek, and all of a sudden she realizes that she has just met the person she has been looking for all day, Giovanni Rinaldi.

"I was almost there

Just a moment away from becoming unclear

Ever get the felling you're gone

I'll show you the way, the way I'm going"


	4. Going Crazy

_Here's chapter 3, don't know if you are starting to get an idea of where this is going, if you do, I would it would be very interesting to hear ;) Drop a line in a review or message. There's two chapters left after this. I have them all ready in Norwegian, they just need a bit more work and translating. The song that was inspiration for this chapter is "Going Crazy" from Norwegian singer Christian Stenseng._

_Thanks for the reviews! I love them! More than 2000 hits on the story so far... This chapter is dedicated to the reviewers of the last chapter:_

_mendebar - thanks! I glad you like the twist, I try to add a story that was a bit different from the other stories here. and with great help from my friend Cath who shuould have equal part of the honour for this. The inspiration is not only from Bones but from another show (I know I wrote it would be sort of a cross-over at the end), but I cannot tell which one right now as it would give away too much ;) Hope I don't make them too much out of character though._

_warmfuzzys - thanks! I'll do my best to keep your interest_

_Annabeth - thanks for the advise, I managed to put in a mention of at least Angela in this. I will keep it in mind and try not to completely forget about the others, but they don't have a very big part in this story I'm afraid, it's mainly Temperance and Seeley. Sorry that it took several days to update..._

_And, on with the story..._

* * *

**Chapter 3 - Going Crazy**

"Stop! Come back!" Temperance runs towards the spot where Giovanni Rinaldi disappeared, but the dark street is totally deserted. Frustrated she kicks an empty can which is lying on the paving stones, and jumps at the sharp sound it makes. She turns and walks back to the bridge where she collapses against the railing. "Oh Seeley where are you? You were not supposed to leave me!" The words of Signore Rinaldi comes back to her. "You will find what you are looking for, but nothing will be like you think…." Once again she pulls out Seeleys letter. Tears are rolling down her cheeks and making her vision blurry, but it doesn't matter, she knows the words by heart. "….No matter what happens, Tempie, I want you to know that my love for you is eternal…." What did you mean by that, Seeley? What did you mean by, no matter what happens? Did you know that something would go wrong? She sobs and rests her head on her knees.

After a while she gets up, slowly, dries her eyes with the back of her hand, and looks gloomy down the canal. A leaf floats silently downstream. Suddenly it's like someone strokes her hair, and fills her with a strange feeling of harmony. She raises her head to look at the dark sky, the stars twinkling above her, and whispers: "I love you always, Seeley!"

The next morning she finishes her breakfast in a hurry, before packing up the rest of her stuff. On the way to the station she takes time to write a postcard to Angela, she picks a typical tourist motive, and quickly scribbles down a few words. "In Venice, love the sights. Say hello to everyone from me. TB" The whole night Seeley has been with her in her dreams, maybe it's about time she admits that she lives only for these dreams, they are her fuel for living.

The train works its way through the scenery towards the Rumanian border. Temperance doesn't pay much attention to what happens outside her window anymore, woods and fields succeed each other in a monotonous pattern that makes her sleepy. She rests her head against the glass, and must have dozed off for a minute when she is awoken by the voice of the train guard. The metallic sound makes it difficult to comprehend, but she understands enough to realise that they are approaching the border. A few butterflies start moving around in her stomach, this is where all traces of Seeley end. The train stops, Temperance looks around, she really wants to go outside, but doesn't dare risking the train going on without her. "Do you know how long a stop this is?" She gives it a shot and asks the little chubby lady in the seat next to her. Stuttering the lady finally is able to inform Temperance that it will be 30 minutes before they continue.

Quickly Temperance picks up her camera and her handbag, slides past the extensive woman and jumps down on the platform. She hesitates as walks towards the station house while looking around. A guard approaches her, and she forces herself to ask him if there are any cash dispensers nearby. The guard thinks about it for a few seconds before he nods. "There was one, until a few years ago, but it was seldom used, so the bank decided to close it." Temperance thanks him and runs in the direction he points out. Just as she turns the corner of the station building she knows she is at the right place. She has no idea how, she just knows.

The screen is broken. Without thinking she lets her fingers glide across the keys and cuts herself on the pieces of glass still lying there. "Ouch!" she jerks her hand back to see blood appear on the tip of one of her fingers. A drop of blood finds it way to the ground, Temperance follows it with her eyes, when something catches her attention, a piece of an old poster with faded colours barely visible underneath a pile of old garbage and leaves. She bends down to pick it up. The sudden tremble in her stomach makes her dizzy, and she struggles to stay on her feet.

* * *

_**Visit the remains of Cetatea Poenari**_

_**The remains of Vlad The Impaler aka Count Draculas home. Climb the 1450 steps to the castle, and enjoy the beautiful view of the river Arges and the town Curtea de Arges.**_

_**The castle seem to grow out of the mountain, and has only one access, a narrow bridge at the top of the stairs.**_

_**Listen, as the wind tells you about the tragic love affair of count Dracula and his one true love, and how she threw herself into the river to avoid captivity.**_

_**Share this place with your loved one, or find comfort in joining Count Dracula in his eternal grief.**_

_**Forever is for good.**_

* * *

Temperance finally manages to keep her legs steady enough to stand up straight. She puts the poster in her bag and runs back to the train which is about to leave for Bucharest. The same second she sits down in her seat she pulls out her map, discovering that the distance from the capital to Curtea de Arges is quite big. She decides that the best thing is to stay the night in Bucharest, and spend the afternoon planning on how to travel further. It's like the train moves in slow motion, Temperance is wide awake all of a sudden, and can hardly wait until the train reaches its destination. She is certain that Seeley is here somewhere, reaching out for her, pulling her towards him, constantly. The words from the poster "….forever is for good…" She looks inside her ring, and see the exact same words engraved there. 

Temperance arrives in Bucharest in the twilight of the late afternoon. She throws her bag over her shoulder and starts walking. Before she knows it she is standing in front of a big old house situated a bit isolated from the other houses at the far end of a square. Hotel Vlad, she easily reads the worn letters on the big sign above the entrance. Temperance shrugs and enters. The reception widens into an enormous hall with a large staircase in the middle. A bit embarrassed she walks across to the desk to inquire for a room. The atmosphere doesn't actually give the impression that this is any kind of backpacker hotel, and with the bag over her shoulder and worn jeans and a t-shirt, she can't help but feel a bit underdressed. However the elderly man behind the counter doesn't seem to either notice nor care. He just hands her the key to room no 15, and points to the stairs.

Halfway up she turns and walks back down to ask the receptionist in a polite way how to get to Poenari and Curtea de Arges. He finds a book with time schedules for the local busses, and gives it to her, after writing the number of the bus she has to find on the cover. Bus 41 to Tirgoviste.

There's something about this place. She feels a presence, it's like someone is keeping an eye on her from the dark corners of the hall, but no matter how hard she tries, she can't see a thing. Besides the feeling is not at all uncomfortable, in a strange way it feels like someone's there watching over her, protecting her. Temperance opens the door to her room and gasps. It is lovely! A gigantic four-poster occupies most of the room, it is dramatically decorated with silk sheets and drapes. Silently she shuts the door behind her and puts the bag down before slowly walking over to the bed. Her hands caresses the silk of the bedcover, it feels cold against her skin.

Temperance is hungry, but doesn't feel like going out, the sandwich and mineral water she bought on the train will have to do. She decides to go to bed, and read a bit more about the places she is going to visit the next day. As always Temperance doesn't like to leave anything to fate, she works systematically and thorough on the preparations. When she reaches the chapter about Poenari it's like the words jump out of the page and embraces her. She tries to understand what it is about this place that made Seeley go there, 'cause she is certain now, that this is where he went. The reading makes her sleepy, she puts away the book and turns out the light, Seeleys letter is as always securely placed underneath her pillow.

Just as she is about to fall asleep the feeling of a presence in the room grows even stronger, it fills her totally with a warm safe and happy feeling. She smiles, comforted by the fact that she will see Seeley soon in her dreams. She walks down the same darkened street, but this time Seeley waits for her and turns around to face her. He looks exactly the same. Even if the twilight still lingers, this time she's able to see the different buildings more clearly. "I have waited for so long!" Seeley reaches out for her hand and leads her through a door. Suddenly she's back in her hotel room, and she is in bed, alone.

Seeley comes across the floor towards her, like he's floating. For a long time they just look into each others eyes, Temperance finds it hard to even to remember to breath, his beautiful eyes shine in a way she has never seen before. "I…." Temperance is about to speak, but Seeley puts one finger on her lips and shakes his head. He slides into bed with her, allowing her to feel his skin against hers. She can't hold back, and sobs quietly against his strong chest.

"My one true love, finally! It's not far now…." His voice sounds inside her head, but his lips don't seem to move. His arms around her, his lips against hers, the longing for him, everything that she has had to keep locked up deep down inside for so long, she can let it all out now. Their limbs all tangle together into a bright light darkness.

Temperance tries to open her mouth, she wants so much to tell him that she always was and always will be his, for eternity. Once again he stops her, this time with a kiss. His eyes seem to talk to her. "We don't need words anymore. You have given me all the answers I need, you are mine now." Seeleys words fills her with the same safe and comfortable feeling she had earlier that evening.

The first light of sun wakes her, by throwing golden rays across the silk sheets. A bit confused she looks around, just to be face to face with her own reflection in the big mirror on the wall. Traces of a content smile is still visible on her lips, but it all fades away as she realises that it must have been nothing but a wonderful dream. Temperance closes her eyes and leans back against the pillows. She can still feel the burning sensation of him touching her skin, and she just doesn't want to let go, she doesn't want to loose him again. Somewhere between awake and asleep she tries to make him come back to her.

* * *

_"Sometimes you smell like a rose in the garden and I wanna see_

_If I can take you away with me, if I can move you a thousand miles…"_

* * *

Temperance is suddenly wide awake, she jumps out of bed, when something next to her pillow catches her attention. A blood red rose…. It's like somewhere deep inside of her, somebody is slowly starting to turn a key, things are about to open up, but still she isn't even close to understanding. She isn't afraid though, she still feels just as safe, like nothing is going to hurt her ever again. 

Half an hour later she is ready to continue her trip. She checks out of the hotel, and easily finds the correct bus. Shortly after she is on her way towards Poenari and Curtea de Arges. Just about a dozen people only on the bus, since it is not exactly peak season for tourists. She's on the right track, she just knows!

Just before they leave the city the have to stop at a red light. Temperance lets her eyes follow a piece of paper which merrily dances through the air, as the bus starts moving again, the paper is thrown against the bus window. For a second it is there right in front of her. "Poenari - City of dreams"

Seeley pulls back a little further into the deep shadows of the crypt. His eyes never leaves the photo of the beautiful green-eyed woman with the amazing smile. His eyes shine with love and affection. "Home, Tempie, my love! Come home! You are on the right track now."

Temperance just can't sleep, she isn't tired, even though she should be, thinking about how little sleep she got last night. The excitement and expectations almost tears her in two, expectations about something she doesn't even know what is.

Several hours later, they arrive in Poenari. Temperance holds her breath. The bus stops and lets them off. She doesn't bother to pay attention to when the bus is returning to Bucharest, it seems like none of her business, nothing to do with her. With her bag across one of her shoulders she starts walking, letting her instincts lead the way. She turns from the main street onto a narrower street, as she starts to walk again she feels a tremble fill her entire body. She has been here before! This is the street from the dream. The street is completely empty, there's not a human to be seen. She half expects Seeley to appear, and be there waiting for her like in the dream, but disappointed she has to realise that it is not going to happen. Temperance pulls out the rose from her bag, it is carefully wrapped in silk paper. The smell of it fills her with a longing for Seeley, to be his again.

The street ends in a staircase with old steps chopped out of stone. Temperance looks up and immediately understands that this isn't just any staircase. It is the 1450 steps to Cetatea Poenari, Bran Castle, the famous "Dracula Castle". Just as she is about to set foot on the first step it's like a voice blends in with the light breeze, whispering: "Welcome home, my one true love!"

* * *

_"Close in on you like the hunter I am, gonna make you fall_

_Never give up on the price that I crave I will make you call_

_I will bring out the heat in you_

_I'm moving close with the beat"_


	5. Greatest Story Ever Told Part 1

_Wow thank you sooo much for the kind reviews. This chapter was a bit hard to translate, I just hope I didn't loose the atmosphere I was trying to describe. One more chapter after this. So guys, what do you think? Please R&R :)_

_The song that has been the inspiration for this and the last chapter (they kind of are two parts of one) is Greatest Story Ever Told by Oliver James._

* * *

**Chapter 4 – Greatest story ever told (part 1)**

Temperance slowly starts walking up the stairs. The voices of the wind follows her, like a whisper calling her home. She knows she is in the right place, but she still doesn't know what to expect. Her feelings switch between hope, love, doubt and fear. All the time she keeps looking around, looking for answers. The scenery is of a wild character, and the mountainsides are covered by dark green woods. It's getting late in the afternoon, and she is all alone. Temperance keeps a slow pace, more than one of the steps are in quite a bad shape, and she really doesn't want to fall and break a leg or something in this deserted place. The closer she gets to the top, the more obvious the whispers around her gets: "Come, my love! I'm waiting for you!"

Temperance feels like she must have been walking for an eternity, and is starting to get tired. It's a long way down. The twilight has started to wipe out the contrasts of the surroundings almost without her noticing. She stops to catch her breath. All of a sudden she is filled with doubts. "What the heck am I doing? I'll soon be dark, and I am here all alone, climbing a mountain on a search for something that might just as well be my own dreams and imagination." She turns half way around, as if she's going down again.

On top of the stairs Seeley looks out into the darkness. He can feel her presence, but he can also feel her doubts. His thoughts wander back to the day that he first stood at the bottom of the very same staircase. His doubts had been the same, maybe even more. Seeley relieves the day, he remembers it as if it was only yesterday:

The sun had been shining and everything had been so beautiful. He had enjoyed his trip so far, but now he was face to face with something unknown, and it scared and appealed to him at the same time. The staircase to the castle seemed to go on forever, and he had no idea what to expect when he got up there.

It all started in Venice when he met Giovanni Rinaldi. What really happened he isn't able to explain, but at least it made him continue his journey. It had been like he finally had been given a purpose, even if he had no idea what that purpose was at that point. Something had made him hurry back to the hotel, pack up, and get on the first train headed for Rumania. On the border he had gone out to make a cash withdrawal, and there, as he was waiting for his turn, he noticed a poster on the wall:

* * *

_**Visit the remains of Cetatea Poenari**_

_**The remains of Vlad The Impaler aka Count Draculas home. Climb the 1450 steps to the castle, and enjoy the beautiful view of the river Arges and the town Curtea de Arges.**_

_**The castle seem to grow out of the mountain, and has only one access, a narrow bridge at the top of the stairs.**_

_**Listen, as the wind tells you about the tragic love affair of count Dracula and his one true love, and how she threw herself into the river to avoid captivity.**_

_**Share this place with your loved one, or find comfort in joining Count Dracula in his eternal grief.**_

_**Forever is for good.**_

* * *

The words on the poster had got to him in a way he had never experienced before in his life, and all of a sudden he knew exactly where he was going. The knowledge had manifested itself out of thin air, and hit him like lightning. In a way it was relieving to have a set goal for his journey, but on the other hand it was kind of frightening as well. In Bucharest he had spent the night in the first hotel he found, Hotel Vlad. The next day he had got on the bus, and ended up at the bottom of the stairs that his Temperance now was about to climb.

Temperance takes a few steps down before stopping again. "Don't be afraid. I would never ever do you any harm. You are so close now. I love you!" The words embrace her with the evening breeze, and they are as clear to her as if Seeley had been standing there right next to her. Slowly she turns and starts walking again, up this time. Her thoughts wander constantly, as she hesitantly continues.

"What made you go here, Seeley? This place is so dark and gloomy, I really don't understand why you would choose it. Have you been here all the time?" The questions are many, and she doesn't know if she'll ever get the answers she seeks. It is all so strange. It is not like Seeley to just run away without any sound, even after the ordeal with Parker, he at lest kept in contact with her. Temperance thinks about his proposal. He had seemed a bit down, but there had been no signs of him thinking about not coming back. She shakes her head, and continues.

Seeley senses that she's on her way up again. He can only hope that she will come to him eventually. The love he feels for her is for ever and ever, and he knows that she feels the same way about him. She gave him that answer the night at Hotel Vlad. The question is if she dares give herself to the unknown, even if it is with him. All the time since she left her apartment he has been able to follow her in his thoughts. He has seen every step she has made, from her mystery meeting with Giovanni, and then finally now the last part of her journey towards him. Seeley has sensed her doubts the whole time, but also her burning desire to find him. The rose he left for her at Hotel Vlad had been his way of trying to comfort her, reassure her that she was doing the right thing, and he feels that he had been successful. Slowly, but still moving, she's on her way to him now. When she arrives she must make her decision, this makes him nervous and happy at the same time, but when her choice is made, it is final, there can be no turning back for either of them.

Temperance stops again. The wind has changed its whispering voice, it is much more longing and intense now. Just like Seeley somehow feels that she is getting closer. This ought to make her speed up, but still she has doubts. There's something more to this, something she just isn't able to understand yet. It's just like there's another voice in her head, trying to overpower Seeley, telling her to get away from there. Frustrated she sits down, resting her head in her hands. The darkness is now complete, only the light from the full moon lights up her path. She needs to think, clear her head.

Seeley once again feels her thoughts, and her doubts, remembering his own. He had no one guiding him the way, like she has. There was no one waiting for him, like he's waiting for her. More than once he was on his way back down, but he changed his mind every time. As he got closer to the top the atmosphere had changed into something dark and gloomy. The need to run away grew stronger, but so did the need to go on. As he reached the narrow bridge that connects the staircase with the castle, the wind had grown into a howling choir of voices. Terrified he had crossed the bridge, and entered what once had been the courtyard of the castle, then sunk to his knees in exhaustion. He didn't get up until he heard a sound behind him. Still with a heart beating fast in fear he turned around. Out of the dark shadows a familiar face appeared. "I see you made it!"

"Tempie, come my love!" Temperance jumps at the sound of the familiar voice. She gets up and starts climbing the last few steps, there is now way back, she has made her decision. She has to see where this leads her.

* * *

_"…but if destiny decided I should look the other way_

_Then the world would never know_

_The greatest story ever told…"_

* * *

Temperances eternal love for Seeley carries her all the way to the top of the stairs. The moon lights up the bridge, and carefully she steps out onto it. A few steps more, and she is walking through the old gate to the castle courtyard. Out of the shadows a familiar figure slides. There is no doubt anymore she knows him, smiling she falls into his embrace.

* * *

_"…and did I tell you that I love you tonight."_


	6. Greatest Story Ever Told Part 2

_So sorry for the late update folks. I originally had planned to keep the last part as one chapter, but it turned out to be way too long for that. Here's most of it, but there will be an epilogue coming... What do you think? Let me know ;) R&R and a million thank yous for all the lovely reviews!_

* * *

**Chapter 5 - The Greatest Story Ever Told (part 2)**

Temperance slides into Seeleys arms. Tears of joy well up in her eyes. The dark frightening shadows at the top of the stairs embrace them, no longer threatening. "Welcome home, "Bones"!" He whispers in her ear. At that very moment she knows that it is the truth. She's finally home, she can feel it in the warmth that fills her when their eyes meet, and in the way her heart almost stops beating when ever he touches her. Seeley lifts his hand and gently strokes her cheek. A shiver passes through her body, she closes her eyes and turns her face to him, her lips slightly apart, as an invitation. She doesn't have to ask twice, Seeley leans in to kiss her. The answer to all her longing, the kiss makes her feel like all of her inside is melting as his mouth starts wandering down her neck, softly following the line where hair meets skin. Then he withdraws.

Without letting go of his eyes, Temperance opens her jacket and pulls out the necklace from around her neck. She opens the lock and releases the golden ring, the ring she's been carrying close to her heart all the time since he proposed. With a not to steady hand she holds the ring out to him. His eyes suddenly seems cloudy in a way Temperance doesn't understand. "You know my answer Seeley! I have always been yours! I have carried this ring close to my heart ever since the day you asked me to share the rest of my life with you. No one but you can complete this, and put the ring where it really belongs!" Seeley takes the ring and gets down on one knee in front of her. He takes her hand and kisses it softly, but just as he is about to place the ring on her finger, he gets up and walks a few steps back, turning his back to her. Temperance just stands there, confused.

After a few minutes she walks over to him. Gently she places her hand on his arm. "Seeley, what's the matter? Have you changed your mind?" He can easily hear the uncertainty in her voice even if she is doing her best to hide it. His heart aches for her, for the both of them, but there's just no simple answers, not anymore. Temperance feels like her heart is being ripped out of her chest while waiting for him to say something. Seeley is struggling with his own feelings, he knows he has to come clean with her before he can renew his proposal, but how do you tell the one you love such a thing, how can he put her in a position where she has to choose….. His head starts pounding from all the thoughts buzzing around like crazy bees, but he knows there really is no way out of it but the truth. Seeley takes a deep breath, then turns to face Temperance.

"I haven't changed my mind! You are the love of my life, the one I've been searching for without even knowing it, I will love you always, for eternity, we are linked together in a way I never imagined possible, heart and soul, body and mind!" Hi voice is filled with desperation as he rambles on, and Temperance strokes his cheek trying to comfort him, pushing her own fears aside for a moment. "You are the one that I have been waiting for my entire life, with you I feel like I belong, for the first time in my adult life, and I don't want to loose you. I can't loose you!" She tries to make him look her in the eyes, as she speak, wanting him to see the love she knows is obvious in her whole appearance. Seeley closes his eyes for a second and shakes his head. "I can't put that ring on your finger, at least not yet. Not before you know about everything that has happened to me since I left you. What you choose to do after that is entirely up to you…" Temperance has no idea of what he is going to tell her, from how he sounds it must be something terrible, but nothing can ever change her mind. Or so she thinks…

"Then tell me! Seeley, you're scaring me!" Temperance grabs his hand and squeezes it. Seeley looks down at her. Here she is, everything he ever wanted. He feels how his fingers cling to the ring in his hand like it was some sort of a lifeline, like it could give him the strength to start talking. "Come with me!" Without letting go of her hand, he starts walking. Temperance tumbles across the uneven surface, the darkness is about to wipe out all contours. Seeley finally stops at a bench on a small elevated plateau in the middle of the remains. He lets go of her hand, and asks her to sit down, before he continues over to a small brick wall. For a moment he just stands there, the he turns around and begins:

"I don't really know where to start…." He opens his hand and looks at the ring one more time. Temperance holds her breath. "When I left you I was scared, scared that I wouldn't have anything to come back to. With Parker gone…." He still isn't able to talk about him without getting tears in his eyes. "….I just couldn't live if you rejected me. You have no idea how many times I was about to turn back, to demand that you give me your answer right away. But it wouldn't have been fair, I had promised you time to think things through, and I was going to give you that time." Seeley lifts his head and looks at her, a couple of tears slowly run down his cheek. So much could have been different if they had known then what they know now. He continues: "I spent the train ride sleeping, to be honest I don't feel like I really woke up until I reached Venice, but then something happened, my journey suddenly had a purpose."

"The night I went to the Bridge of Sighs my longing for you was more intense than ever. But there looking at the floating leaves on the water I felt close to you somehow even if there were thousands of miles between us. Venice is the city of love, and something about that bridge made me go back, over and over again. One late evening I was just standing there at the railing, looking up into the sky, when somebody came up and stood next to me. That's when I met Giovanni. Temperance gets up and interrupts. "Do you know Giovanni Rinaldi, for real?" Her eyes are filled with questions, and it hurts him to know that the answers he has got for her, will cause her so much pain. "Let me finish. You will have all the answers you need, just be patient." The tenderness in Seeleys voice warms her. She sits down again, prepared to listen without breaking him off again. "Giovanni just stood there next to me, on the bridge. He didn't speak at first. Then out of the blue he states: You will have your loved one, but the road will be dark and long. He then stroke my cheek and left. I turned and ran after him. When I finally caught up, I begged him to tell me what he meant."

"At first he was a bit reluctant to talk, but gradually he opened up. Some of the things he said…." Seeley shudders, and suddenly it seems like he's right back there in Venice, with Giovanni. The grip around Temperances hand fastens. "Seeley? What did he say?" He sighs and opens his mouth. "I remember his words exactly, like they are written somewhere inside my head. This is what he said: You _will die, and there's nothing I can do to prevent it, except with death itself_." Seeley bites his lower lip. "You can imagine how scared I was, I just didn't understand, what I really wanted was to run away and erase the whole incident from my brain, but something made me stay. I just had to know who he was, and what he really meant by what he was saying. Giovanne went quiet, I was certain that he wasn't going to answer, but then he spoke. I am your guardian angel in a way, or rather a guardian angel for all that's good in this world." Seeley can see how Temperance as always is trying to analyze the situation, to get some sense out of it, he smiles a sad smile. "That really didn't help much, and by this time I was getting really frustrated. Giovanni had told me that I was going to die, and right then and there I realized that even after all the dark thoughts surrounding Parkers death, I just couldn't die, it didn't feel like my time, I had to be with you!" They look into each others eyes. "Giovanni said that he had found in himself a kindness for me, and that he wanted me to be happy with my one true love. He said: _This is why I am going to interfere with your destiny this one time. You are meant to die young, and there's only one thing that can save you. The choice is yours. You can get on the train to Rumania tomorrow, or you can stay in Venice. If you stay, there's nothing I can do. If you go to Rumania I can help you. As I said, the choice is yours, but no choice is easy, and it's all up to you. If you stay here, your death will be final._ With this words he disappeared, like he just floated into the darkness, leaving me numb and without the ability to think. I didn't know what to do, weather to believe him or not, and when I wrote the letter to you I still thought that I would return to you some day. But, Tempie, you know that I'm a believer, and my choice is quite obvious now…."

Seeley sits down on the bench next to her. Temperance looks at him, frowning. She understands that he had to go here, but…. He takes both of her hands in his and smiles at her, a small almost unnoticeable smile. "I can see that you are confused. You are not afraid of me?" She looks at him in disbelief and shakes her head, how can she be afraid of the one she loves? Thoughtfully he strokes her hair. "I think I almost paniced when the meaning of Giovannis words really started to sink in. I could of course have written him off as a complete lunatic, but there was something about him that made me trust him. Besides, he said that this was the only way for us to be together. The next morning I hurried down to the station and got on the train. As we waited at the Rumanian border I ran out to get some cash, that's when I saw the poster, the one you got there." He nods to her bag. Temperance opens it and pulls out the worn sheet of paper, how could he have known that she had brought it with her, or that it had still been there five years after he left? Seeley stands up and looks around. "You have read it. Something in those words told me that this is where I was going, this would be my rescue. The simple and plain textlines told me that I had found my destination."

"I spent the night at Hotel Vlad." Seeley smiles slightly. "But…." Temperance smiles back at him. "Why did you leave me at the hotel, 'cause you were there, it wasn't a dream!" She pulls out the rose and admires the crimson red petals. Seeley nods. "Oh, I was there! I wasn't supposed to be there, but I just wasn't able to wait any longer. I left you the rose, hoping that you would feel my presence even after I left. I wanted you to know that I was near by, and that I wouldn't allow anything bad happen to you. I went on the same bus you did, coming here to Curtea de Arges. The sun was high as I stood at the bottom of the stairs, and as I started climbing I wasn't aware that the sun was just one of many things I had to say goodbye to forever."

Seeley withdraws a bit from her. He needs the distance to tell her the last part of his story. Temperance looks at him with a new uncertainty in her eyes, an uncertainty mixed with fear, from knowing something she isn't quite able to comprehend as of yet. It's easy to see that this is hard on him. Seeley lets the shadows fall over him, half hiding him from her sight, he can't look at her right now. He knows that she loves him, but does she love him enough?

"Before I reached the top of the stairs the sun was setting. I spent a long time on my journey up, filled with doubts and fear, but deep inside I knew that there was no way back. Eventually I was here at my final destination. It was late in the afternoon, and the last remaining tourists was about to leave. I tried making myself as little as possible, and hide behind one of the walls. When there was no one but me left I came out, and looked around. The confusion I felt was total, I had no idea what I was doing here, so I sat down on that bench." He points to the bench she had been sitting on just a while ago. Nothing happened, and I began wondering if I had gotten it all wrong, that I was in the wrong place after all. A few times I started walking towards the stairs to go back down to the village, but something made me stay. Evening became night, and then suddenly I heared the sound of footsteps behind me. It was Giovanni, he seemed to just materialise out of the dark night, a smile on his face. I never thought I would be so glad to see a man I had been close to define as a madman. Now I knew I was in the right place.

Giovanni took my hand and lead me to the dungeon of the castle. I was terrified, but pulled myself together. _Don't be afraid. You have made your decision, now you have to stick with it._ It was just like Giovanni felt my fear. At the far end of the dungeon he let his fingers wander over a part of the wall, searching for something. Then suddenly some of the bricks started sliding aside, revealing a hidden entrance into a crypt. As we went inside my eyes immediately fell on a beautiful woman in a baroque-type dress. Looking around the, I had to admit that it actually was quite a nice place with candles everywhere, but in spite of this the room still gave me the shivers. The lady stood up and greeted us as we came closer. She smiled, and I instantly felt a coldness creep up my backside. Giovanni left me with the lady without any kind of introduction. I remember the way she sort of floated over the floor towards me, it seemed like she didn't even touch the floor. Her dress was black and blood red, with a wide skirt, and she looked about our age." Seeley takes a deep breath, and Temperance can hear a trembling in his voice when he continues.

"Without any warning she grabs me by the arm and leads me to a sarcophagus made from stone. She sits down and pulls me down next to her. I'm starting to panic, this is doesn't feel right anymore, and I start to get up. This was your choice, remember that. Her voice is low and erotic. I sit down again, knowing I have no other choice. Her tongue slides seductively over her lips as she smiles. She leans in towards me and I get the strange feeling that she is sniffing my throat. Carefully she moves her lips to my neck before she suddenly lets her teeth penetrate my skin. There is no pain, just plain shock. I feel close to unconscious. She lets go of me, then uses one of her long painted nails to make a cut on her own neck, and I'm forced to suck on it. My head is filled with one thought, to drink her blood. Eventually she tears away and leaves.

I feel shaken, and something strange is happening inside my body. I don't know what it is, I don't have the words to describe it. Maybe I passed out, I'm not sure. After a while it's like all of my senses awaken again, only now they seem stronger than ever. I feel stronger, like I'm invincible. When I look up I see that Giovanni has returned. _This was your choice, now you are neither living nor dead, or a vampire if you prefer._ I am still confused, I can't see what help this will do us in being together. Giovanni must have sensed my despair, and starts explaining._ You are not like most vampires. As I said I work for the all that's good in the world, and I have given you a soul. Remember the first time we met, at the Bridge of Sighs? I stroke your cheek_." Temperance can't help but place her hand on her own cheek, remembering that Giovanni had done the exact same with her. Seeley notices and closes his eyes. "Still I don't understand, I have read about vampires, but I guess I just thought of the stories as fairytales, I never for once stopped to think that they really existed. It's all like a morbid dream. _This is your home now, there are plenty of rats here, so you have free access of blood. I'll let you get some rest now. Stay here until I return tomorrow, and remember, all things happen for a reason_." With these words he leaves me once again.

Seeley doesn't dare to look at Temperance, he fears her reaction. The night and the shadows are his hideout, and he is at one with them. Temperance looks straight ahead, she doesn't know what to say. It's really like he's telling her a fairytale, it's just that this is so much more scary, because deep inside, she knows this is real.

"Giovanni returned the day after as he had promised. I was still confused, but at least I had gotten some sleep, exhausted I had more or less passed out right after he left. Patiently he answered all of my questions, and bit by bit I began to comprehend the reach of my decision. Giovanni tried to comfort me by telling me again that this was my one chance to live, my one chance to be with you." Seeley is still hidden in the deep shadows, but Temperance feels his eyes on her constantly. "I think Giovanni sensed that I needed time to understand. He left me in peace after giving me a short descriptions of what to do and what not to do as a vampire…." Seeley laughs, but there's no joy in the laughter. "I still can't get used to that word, and now it's been five years. "The night became my day, the sunlight my enemy, the rats my meals and the loneliness my life." He comes out of the darkness and kneels down before her. "I have been given physical and psychical powers I never even dreamed of. My senses are strengthened, so is my love for you, Tempie, even if I didn't think that was possible."

"You have been calling for me all this time?" Temperance says, more as a statement than as a question. Her dreams suddenly get a deeper meaning, and she again sees Seeley walk in front of her along a darkened street, the longing to be with him, it all makes sence. The conversations that they have had, the connection between their souls so strong that neither time nor distance can destroy it. She is terrified, but at the same time, almost automatically a decision is starting to form in her head. The man in front of her, she can't believe how much she loves him, how empty her life has been without him. Will she be able to say goodbye to all that she knows and give her self completely to a world she knows nothing about? Does she dare? Seeley tilts his head a bit, his eyes look deep into her soul. "I understand your fear, it is not an easy decision, and when it's made there's no way back! I will try not to influence you, this must be your decision." He stands up, his voice filled with sadness. "I'll let you think, I'll return in a while."

Seeley slowly walks away into the darkness. A part of Temperance wants to run after him, call him back, give him the answer she knows he is longing for, but another part of her wants her to pack up her stuff and run, get the hell away from this creepy place. She picks up her mobile phone from her bag, thoughtfully she plays with the keys. What kind of life does she have without Seeley? Her existence these five years has been filled with nothing but her longing for him. Now that she finally found him again, in spite of doubts and fears, she feels whole. The thoughts of her brother and her friends brings tears to her eyes, can she manage never to be able to see them again? She understands that Seeley really had no other choice, but she has, and she feels like her heart is being torn in two. Temperance rests her head in her hands. Something falls to the ground beside her, the rose. Carefully she picks it up, fearing that it may have been damaged in the fall. The smell of it makes Seeleys face appear for her eyes.

* * *

"And if I lived a thousand years

You know I never could explain

The way I lost my heart to you

That day…"

* * *

She sighs, she knows what she has to do. This will be the hardest thing she has ever done, but it's the only solution. Quickly she writes a text message on her phone and sends it, she then gets up and walks away from the benche.

* * *

_I will try to have the last part out tomorrow ;)_


End file.
